Local television in the United Kingdom

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Local television in the United Kingdom, described in legislation as Local Digital Television Programme Services (L-DTPS), provides a television station for a specific local area. Successful applicants are awarded a sole licence for their chosen area, and are expected to locate their studios within the same area. They broadcast on the digital terrestrial (DTT) system, as used by the national Freeview service.

The independent regulator, Ofcom, invites applications in all areas where transmission is technically possible, and assesses proposals against the statutory criteria.[1]

Availability

The multiplexes that the stations operate on are operated by Comux, owned by the local TV broadcasters with operations run by Canis Media.[2]

Most of the stations broadcast on DTT channel 8 in England and Northern Ireland and - following the closure of BBC Three, vacating the channel - will move to channel 7 on 5th April 2016, with the exception of London and Liverpool which will remain on channel 8. In Scotland and Wales the stations were originally given channel 45; however, following a number of channel closures, channel 23 was used. These services will move to channel 8 on 5th April 2016.

Some stations are also available (in their local areas) via cable (Virgin Media) channel 157 and satellite (Sky) channel 117.

Phase 1

In May 2012, twenty one areas were selected to invite bids for providing a local TV service.[3]

Primary location Transmitter Winning operator[4] Launch date Other bids[5]
Belfast Divis NVTV 29 September 2014 Made in Belfast
Birmingham Sutton Coldfield City8 28 February 2015 Bham TV, Made in Birmingham, YourTV Birmingham
Brighton and Hove Whitehawk Hill Latest TV 28 August 2014 none
Bristol Mendip Made in Bristol 8 October 2014 none
Cardiff Wenvoe Made in Cardiff 15 October 2014 Cardiff Local TV
Edinburgh Craigkelly STV Edinburgh[6] 12 January 2015 Edinburgh News Network, Made in Edinburgh, Metro8 Edinburgh
Glasgow Black Hill STV Glasgow[6] 2 June 2014 Glasgow TV, Made in Glasgow, Metro8 Glasgow
Grimsby Belmont Estuary TV[7] 26 November 2013 none
Leeds Emley Moor Made in Leeds[8] 6 November 2014 Leeds TV, Metro8 Leeds, NORTH, YourTV Leeds
Liverpool Winter Hill

Storeton

Bay TV Liverpool[9] 4 December 2014 Made in Liverpool, Metro8 Liverpool, Our-TV, YourTV Liverpool
London Crystal Palace

Croydon

London Live[10] 31 March 2014 London8, LondonTV, Made in London, YourTV London
Manchester Winter Hill That's Manchester 31 May 2015 Made in Manchester, Manchester News Channel, MCR TV, Metro8 Manchester, YourTV Manchester
Sunderland & Newcastle Pontop Pike Made in Tyne & Wear[11] 12 November 2014 Metro8 Newcastle, NEON-TV, YourTV Newcastle
Norwich Tacolneston Mustard TV[12][13] 24 March 2014 NR ONE
Nottingham Waltham

Nottingham

Notts TV 27 May 2014 Television Nottingham
Oxford Oxford That's Oxford[14] 17 April 2015 Oxford 8, Oxford 8
Plymouth Caradon Hill not awarded N/A none
Blackpool/Preston Winter Hill That's Lancashire [15] 24 August 2015 Metro8 Preston, YourTV Blackpool & Preston
Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield Live TV 23 September 2014 Metro8 Sheffield, YourTV Sheffield
Southampton/Portsmouth Rowridge That's Solent 26 November 2014 TV Solent
Swansea Kilvey Hill not awarded N/A none

In August 2012 fifty seven applications were received to provide these services.[16][17] Bristol, Brighton and Hove, and Grimsby attracted only one bid each.[18] Plymouth and Swansea received no bids from potential broadcasters.[19]

† The owners of Birmingham licence City8 went into administration before the channel launched. The licence was re-awarded to another operator, Big Centre TV.[20]

Phase 2

In March 2013, Ofcom announced another thirty areas selected to invite bids for local television services, in addition to re-advertising the previously un-awarded Swansea and Plymouth locations.[21]

Primary location Transmitter Winning operator[4] Launch date Other bids[5][22]
Aberdeen Durris Around Aberdeen (STV Group plc)
Ayr Darvel Ayrshire Today (STV Group plc)
Bangor Llanddona not awarded[23] Bay TV Gwynedd
Basingstoke Hannington That's Hampshire
Bedford not awarded
Bromsgrove not awarded
Cambridge Madingley Cambridge TV[24] 18 August 2015 none
Carlisle Caldbeck That's Carlisle
Derry Londonderry not awarded
Dundee Angus View from the Bridges (STV Group plc)
Guildford Guildford That's Surrey[25]
Hereford not awarded
Inverness Rosemarkie
Kidderminster Kidderminster not awarded
Limavady not awarded
Lincolnshire Belmont That's Lincolnshire 7 June 2016
Luton Sandy Heath not awarded
Maidstone/Tonbridge Bluebell Hill KMTV † TVKent
Malvern Malvern not awarded
Middlesbrough Bilsdale Made in Teesside[26] TeesVision
Mold Moel-y-Parc Bay TV Clwyd[27] Serch TV Mold
Plymouth Caradon Hill not awarded
Reading Hannington That's Reading[28]
Salisbury Salisbury That's Salisbury[29]
Scarborough Oliver's Mount Yorkshire Coast TV
Stoke-on-Trent not awarded Bay TV Stoke
Stratford-upon-Avon Lark Stoke Upon 8
Swansea Kilvey Hill Bay TV Swansea[27] Love Swansea
Tonbridge Bluebell Hill see Maidstone
York Bilsdale The York Channel[26] none

† Maidstone and Tonbridge were initially advertised separately.

References

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External links